The Greatest Showman (Anne Wheeler x Male OC)

Chapter Five: A New Beginning

The day after the fire was a crazy one. Barnum lost his wife and won her back in one day, the Oddities all got drunk and passed out in a bar, and Jenny Lind quit her tour, causing Barnum to become broke. But William wasn't awake for any of that. In fact, he wasn't awake for almost the entire day. But Anne still sat there, his hand in hers. Just then, tears of joy began to fill her eyes as she smiled. His hand began to move. The bandaged fingers then tightened around her hand, his blue eyes slowly opening. When they were open, he saw Anne there, and though there were still tears in her eyes, she was still smiling. She then rested her chin on their held hands.

"You're okay," William croaked with a small smile. Anne didn't know what to say. So she didn't. Dropping his hand gently, she closed her eyes and leaned close. Their lips met. That first kiss was only a few seconds, but it meant something. As the two teens pulled away, they softly chuckled as William laced his fingers in her hair, pulling her back down for another kiss, this one longer and more passionate. They didn't know or care that the other patients, doctors, and nurses were all watching. They had each other, and that was all that mattered.

A few days later, William was admitted from the hospital. The Oddities then went through the wreckage of the circus to try and salvage what they could. Not much was found. Only a destroyed ring, the same Anne had hung from when she and William fell in love, a soot-covered General Tom Thumb stuffed toy, and the charred remains of William's mask. Barnum then walked up to the group.

"Bank said no?" Phillip asked.

"Emphatically," Barnum answered. "Repeatedly. I don't think there's a banker left in the country I can fool into loaning me more money, so... I'm really sorry to disappoint you all."

"Don't worry, Barnum," Tom said. "We've gotten used to it by now." Laughter then erupted from the Oddities. William looked at Anne before walking over to the Ringmaster.

"You know, Barnum..." he said, "when I first met you... I was just a dirty orphan living in an alleyway. Had to steal bread to live. And now, thanks to you, all that's gone." He then walked back over to Anne and held her hand. "Instead, I now have friendship, love, work that I adore... and a family." Barnum smiled as Spider-Man continued. "You pulled me out of the shadows and gave me what I lost in life."

"You brought joy into my life," Phillip added.

"Into all our lives," Lettie said.

"Hear, hear," the Lord of Leeds agreed.

"If only the bank would take joy as collateral," Barnum said.

"They may not..." Phillip said, "but I will. I own 10% of the show. Knowing who I was working for... I had the good sense to take my cut weekly."

"Phillip, I can't let you gamble it on me."

"Sure you can," Anne said.

"Don't turn sensible on us now," Lettie said.

"Partners," Phillip said, holding out his hand. "50-50." Smiling, Barnum shook hands, getting laughter from everyone.

"Partners," Barnum agreed.

"The only thing is... I don't know how we're gonna afford a building."

"Right." Just then, an idea sparked in Barnum's mind. "Building. We don't need a building. Real estate Manhattan is a terrible investment." He then turned and pointed down by the Atlantic. "Why, I can get land down by the docks for almost nothing! All we need is a tent."

"Well that had better be some tent," William said, causing everyone to look at him. "Think about it. The building was large enough for all of us to do our acts. Never heard of a tent that big. So either we have to make it, or hire someone to make it."

A few months later, after repairing the costumes, installing lights, and regaining the animals, inside a giant red and white striped tent, the circus was reborn in its first show.

"Oh! This is the greatest show!" The oddities sang. Barnum then emerged from smoke to begin his final show.

"Colossal we come these renegades in the ring," he sang. "Where the lost get found and we crown them the circus kings."

"Don't fight it, it's coming for ya, running at ya," they all harmonized. "It's only this moment, don't care what comes after. It's blinding, outshining anything that you know. Just surrender 'cause you're calling and you wanna go! Where it's covered in all the colored lights! Where the runaways are running the night! Impossible comes true!"

"Intoxicating you," Barnum sang.

"Oh! This is the greatest show!"

"We light it up, we won't come down!"

"And the sun can't stop us now."

"Watching it come true."

"It's taking over you! Oh! This is the greatest show!"

"It's everything you ever want!" Barnum then looked over at Phillip, and saw him smiling. A final idea came into his mind. Taking his hat off, he handed it to a swinging Anne. As he sang, it was passed around the entire circus. "It's everything you ever need. And it's here right in front of you. This is where you wanna be. It's everything you ever want. It's everything you ever need. And it's here right in front of you! This is where you wanna be!"

"This is where you wanna be!" Lettie sang, handing the hat back to Barnum. As the song continued, William flipped out of a hiding spot, fully suited, and faced a man wearing a rubber Goblin mask who wore green and purple. This was part of the new act. Stage fighting. Fake fighting that looks real. The Amazing Spider-Man vs. the Diabolical Green Goblin. Reaching into his sack, he threw orange spheres at Spider-Man, exploding into orange powder when it came in contact with anything. As they "fought", the crowd and group began singing.

"Where it's covered in all the colored lights," the Oddities harmonized. "Where the runaways are running the night. Impossible comes true, it's taking over you. This is the greatest show!" William then ended the fight with an uppercut, causing the Goblin to pretend to fall and be beaten. "We light it up. We won't come down, and the sun can't stop us now. Watching it come true, it's taking over you." Just then, Phillip, wearing Barnum's hat and holding his cane, ran out and joined in as the new Ringmaster.

"This is the greatest show!" he sang as he spun on.

"Where the runaways are running the night," everyone sang. "Impossible comes true, it's taking over you." Anne then landed next to William. "This is the greatest show! We light it up, we won't come down. And the walls can't stop us now! Watching it come true, it's taking over you."

"'Cause everything you want is right in front of you," William and Anne harmonized. "And you see the impossible coming true. And the walls can't stop us now."

"Oh! This is the greatest show!" Everyone sang. As they repeated those six words, William grabbed a rope and hung upside down from it in front of Anne, the song finishing. The acrobat then lowered his mask, revealing his nose and mouth, and gave him a kiss on the lips. After she pulled away, they both smiled and kissed again, much to the applauding of the audience. They found where they belonged.

The End

"The noblest art is that of making others happy." - P.T. Barnum